The present application is related to, and claims priority from, Japanese Patent Application No. 10-220356, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to pressure sensors, and more particularly to a pressure-detecting device having a pressure sensor unit with a plurality of connection leads exiting a sensor housing.
2. Related Art
Conventional pressure sensor units for performing pressure detection in vehicle hydraulic brake systems, common rail injectors of diesel engines and the like typically include a diaphragm and a pressure sensor chip responsive to diaphragm deformation disposed in a pressure-receiving end of a metal sensor housing, and a plurality of connection leads exit a base end of the case. The components to which the connection must be electrically connected include various different types of connectors and printed circuit boards. Because these outside members vary greatly in size and shape, it becomes necessary to variously change the exit positions and lengths and shapes of the connection leads according to the specifications of the different outside members.
As a result, it has in the past been necessary to prepare various different versions of pressure sensor units of which only the specifications of the connection leads differ. Therefore, the pressure sensor units are difficult to produce on a mass-production basis, and, as such units are relatively expensive devices, the associated cost is consequently increased.
In particular, the connection leads are often increased in length to conform to specifications of an outside member, as the leads are easily bent in the production or assembly stage. However, as a result, ease of assembly of the unit deteriorates, thereby resulting in increased assembly costs.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pressure-detecting device with which it is only necessary to prepare pressure sensor units conforming to a single specification, even when the connection leads of the pressure sensor units are to be electrically connected to outside members of numerous different shapes and sizes, and with which it is thus possible to realize cost reductions through mass-production and ease of unit assembly.
To achieve this and other objects, the invention provides a pressure-detecting device having a coupling member coupling member with a connector part shaped to match the form of the outside member to which the unit connection are electrically connected. The plurality of terminal plates of the coupling member and the plurality of connection leads of the pressure sensor unit are electrically connected by for example welding or soldering, but because the terminal plates are disposed in the same way, even when the version of the coupling member is different, the exit positions and lengths and shapes of the connection leads of all the pressure sensor units can be identical.
Therefore, even when there are numerous outside members of varying shapes to which the connection leads of pressure sensor units must be electrically connected, it is only necessary to prepare the pressure sensor units based on a single specification. As a result, it becomes possible to reduce the cost of the pressure sensor units through mass-production and hence reduce the overall cost of the device. Also, because the terminal plates are all exposed on the same side, the connection leads of the pressure sensor unit may be easily connected to the terminal plates. Moreover, because the length of the connection leads can be minimized, the risk of the connection leads bending in the production or assembly stage is minimized, thereby resulting in increased assembly yield and reduced production costs.